G.I. Joe #4: Full Octane Joe

G.I. Joe #4 picks up mid action with the Joes on a rescue mission while Clutch continues to sneak behind enemy lines, discovering the monstrous plans of the dictator in rising, Cobra Commander. For those not sure on how to approach this series, just know, if this issue is any indication, all of the hallmarks of what made the classic animated series so iconic are going to stay persistent throughout this run. Everything from the Joes springing into action that surely sees them going in over their heads to a villainous speech about world domination from Cobra Commander are on full display here.

This issue is very heavy on the action, picking up right in the middle of the Joes rescue mission as it goes horribly wrong. One of the best parts of Williamson’s writing is his ability to make the interpersonal drama and dialogue between this dysfunctional team work excellently against the backdrop of action that Tom Reilly beautifully draws. This gives the book so much life and levity as the action is just nonstop across all the pages. This then transitions over to the Cobra base which sees all of these machinations come into play as Cobra Commander reveals his end goal: world domination. Williamson’s dialogue here reads in such a way that it is almost impossible not to hear the original voice actor’s voices as the issue goes along.

One thing of note here is how similar this series has kicked off to the Transformers series under Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona. Both of these series kicked off with the heroes dramatically outnumbered and placed up against odds that are not favorable to stopping these enemy forces. G.I Joe gets the added bonus of having an already established world after the events of Transformers and four G.I Joe mini series preceding this; however, there is no doubt that the similar circumstances of the heroes is no coincidence. Williamson also planned this out well in that he gives the reader a semi-omniscient perspective, allowing there to be stakes for the heroes that they are unaware of. This puts the heroes at a point where they need to figure out their next move while the reader can see if that is going to work or not, while also showcasing the heroes’ ability to defy odds much greater than themselves.